


the one that didn’t get away

by helsinkibaby



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, F/M, First Kiss, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 12:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17898560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Garcia gives Luke advice about the one who got away





	the one that didn’t get away

**Author's Note:**

> For one million words bingo “the heart wants what it wants”/“I can’t get you out of my mind”

“So, is it true?” 

Having ascertained that Garcia hasn‘t found anything in their search for the latest UNSUB - like she wouldn’t have called him if she had - Luke is about to go back to his desk when her question stops him. He turns to look back at her and sees she’s not actually looking at him. Her eyes are fixed on her computer screen but the pen in her hand is beating a steady tattoo against the desk. Which is unusual and Luke’s eyes travel over her body - like he needs an excuse to do that but he’s not going to pass it up - and he doesn’t miss how her right foot knocks against the base of her chair. 

Interesting. 

“Is what true?” 

Her head tilts but it doesn’t turn. “A little bird told me that you and Lisa broke up.” Her voice is light, almost teasing but he knows Garcia, can detect the slightest edge there. 

Or maybe he’s reading too much into this, seeing things he wants to see. 

Either way, he knows he needs to tread carefully. 

“Yes,” he says and if he’s expecting a pang, none comes. “She moved out last week.” 

Garcia’s pen stills, then drops and when she turns to look at him, there’s a look on her face that he’s never seen and, for all his profiling expertise, can’t identify. He remembers too late that Garcia’s been working with profilers for over a decade and, all evidence to the contrary, she knows how to hide her tells when she wants to. “So tell me.” She makes a “gimme” motion with her hands. “What did you do and we’ll work out how to fix it.” 

Luke’s jaw drops. “What makes you think I did something?” 

Garcia actually smirks. “Lisa is gorgeous, smart, funny, a doctor…” Her voice trails off and it might be the dim lighting in the office but her smirk seems to fade a little. “Face it, Luke, she’s a catch and if you don’t want her to be the one who got away-”

“She’s not.” The words are out before Luke can stop them and he’d really like to bite off his tongue when he sees how surprised Garcia looks. He’s said too much, he knows at once, and because he knows Garcia, he knows she’s not going to let this go. 

“I don’t understand.” 

She sounds genuinely confused and Luke rubs a hand over his face. “Look, you don’t need to worry about it, ok? Just leave it.”

Except Penelope Garcia has never left anything in her whole entire life. She frowns, like she’s trying to work it out, her eyes darting this way and that as she thinks. “It sounds like it’s something.” 

“It’s not.” 

He turns, intending that to be an end to the conversation. 

Then she says his name. 

“Luke,” she says, soft and gentle and tender, giving him hope where he’d previously had none. 

He turns back to her and her jaw drops and that’s when he knows that everything he feels is written all over his face. 

“I can’t get you out of my mind,” he admits. “Since Rossi’s wedding, when we danced together. And I mean, it’s not unusual… it’s been going on for a long time. I never said anything because I never wanted to be that guy… besides, it was sort of tricky when when you were making it pretty clear that you hated my guts.” He’s joking, but only a little. His friendship with Garcia is a hard won, precarious and infinitely precious thing. Not for diamonds would he put that at risk. “I thought I’d put it behind me, but apparently the heart wants what it wants. And it’s not fair to Lisa, living with her, thinking about someone else… so I called it off.” 

Garcia’s mouth opens and closes but nothing comes out. 

Luke rubs a hand over his lips again, sure he’s messed up, has ruined everything. “Look, you don’t have to say anything, ok? This is my issue, not yours. I’m not going to do anything to make you uncomfortable, we can just go back to normal, forget this whole conversation ever happened.” 

Garcia still stands like a statue, staring at him, her eyes wide. 

“OK then.” He takes a step towards the door. “I’m just going to-”

He turns but he’s taken a bare half step before her fingers close over his wrist. He turns back to her, surprised and he barely registers the words she speaks - “I can’t do that,” - before her lips are on his. 

He loses track of time a little after that but when he pulls back, they’re both short of breath and his palms are on her ass, pressing her close to him. Which he’d think is too much if he weren’t for the fact that her hands have found their way under his shirt, are resting on the small of his back, burning him like a brand. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she’s smiling and Luke feels himself smiling back. 

“So…” His voice sounds lower than normal. “When we finally get out of here… how about I buy you dinner?” 

She giggles and nods all at once. It’s pretty damn adorable. “I would like that,” she tells him. 

He nods, then dips his head and kisses her again, just because he can. 

That’s something he’s definitely going to be getting used to.


End file.
